Archive for September 2005
The Surreal Life: Ben Ladner Edition
Johnny Law has an update on the Ben Ladner situation, including pics from the on-campus protest we attended yesterday evening. As if the personal chef and exquisite five thousand dollar lunches weren’t enough for President Ladner, the Washington Post uncovered a confidental memo to the Board requsting an additional five million in compensation to maintain…
Read MoreLadner, a Message to You…
Leave. The faculty, student government, and half the board of trustees agree. Like closing time at the bar (e.g the open bar you bought with $44,000 of our money), you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. I think that this picture from BenLadner.com says it all: Yours truly,Mr. X …not amused…
Read MorePorkbusters: Make Congress Trim Some Fat
Stephen VanDyke’s heads up informed me about the Porkbusters campaign to reduce wasteful government spending to offset Katrina rebuilding efforts. I may not be the Libertarian Party, but as a Libertarian, I contacted my Congressman, Albert Wynn, to request a specific spending cut. Dear Congressman Wynn,In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the whole country was…
Read MoreRole Model?
Is AU President Ben Ladner a good role model? As noted in this Washington Post story, Mr. Ladner has bilked the school for $500,000 in spurious expenses, above and beyond his ridiculous $800,000 annual salary. The spending in dispute includes travel expenses, more than $6,000 in club dues, nearly $54,000 in drivers’ costs, more than…
Read MoreThe Onion: Satire site or Delphic oracle?
On February 18, 2004, The Onion published a story entitled, “Fuck Everything, We’re Doing Five Blades,” describing a fictional Gillette executive’s response to the Schick Quattro, a razor that offered four blades to the Gillette Mach 3‘s paltry three. You think it’s crazy? It is crazy. But I don’t give a shit. From now on,…
Read MoreBreaking the Silence
I finished my first cite-checking assignment Sunday night. Somehow I found about 25 hours above and beyond my normal work and school duties to find sources in three different libraries, copy and collate them, and edit 20 or so pages of scholarly article. All that, and I still don’t feel like I did a good…
Read MoreStoicism in Action: New Orleans Edition
A commentary this morning on NPR by Chris Rose served as a reminder of how hard it can be to remain stoic in the face of disaster. Yours truly,Mr. X …dealing with smaller problems…
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